Female Lacrosse Committee

Female Lacrosse Committee

CDLA Board Member Liaison: Don Payne / CDLA Member at Large for Female Lacrosse

Late in 2018, the CDLA established an ad hoc committee to explore options for building and maintaining the female lacrosse program. This committee researched and debated many different options, but in the end concluded that the best solution is to create a single ‘all female’ club where all female players in the CDLA will play. THIS INITIATIVE WILL NOT TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR…PLANS ARE IN PLACE TO ESTABLISH THIS CLUB NEXT YEAR FOR THE 2019 SEASON.

By having a single club focused on female lacrosse, the CDLA will be able to ensure that all female players will be placed on equal teams, that coaches are properly trained to coach female athletes, and that the culture of the organization can be developed to support female athletes.

Over the course of the 2018 season, this committee will be consulting with both parents of female players and female players directly to gather feedback and come up with a sound implementation plan for this initiative. The goal is to use ‘key’ events for this consultation, for example, the Girls Rock Tournament.

If you have any comments or questions on this, please feel free to contact Don Payne at dsp01@telus.net.

PROPOSED FEMALE LACROSSE ASSOCIATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CDLA

As you are aware, there is an initiative underway to create a CDLA Female Lacrosse Association. A recent survey issued by the CDLA found that 71.43% of parents’ who responded, supported this initiative.

Why do we feel an All-Girls Club is Important?

Did you know that by age 13, 7 out of 10 athletes will stop participating in organized sports? For every boy who leaves, there are 6 girls who will stop participating. That means you are 6 times more likely to leave organized sports if you are a girl.

The goal of the Female Lacrosse Association is to remove barriers that are preventing girls from playing Lacrosse in Calgary, and make our young female athletes a priority, thereby keeping them in the sport of lacrosse. The mission of this association is “To enhance the lives of the female athlete through the sport of lacrosse. To foster confidence, leadership and teamwork, with the ultimate goal to give back to the communities where our athletes live and play”.

By having a female association we can help develop female lacrosse players with a female culture. The idea of a female association is not new, with successful programs in other organized sports such as hockey, soccer, rugby and basketball.

With the survey results showing support for this initiative, we are moving forward with the next steps. This involves the appointment of an interim board, to steward to a Female Lacrosse Association, while we go through an approval process with the CDLA and its member associations. We are currently compiling a team of people who are prepared to invest their time volunteering.

The volunteers together with the interim Board will be responsible for taking the current conceptual view of a female association and working collaboratively with one another and the larger female membership across Calgary, to create a more detailed plan for submission to the CDLA. It is hoped that this plan will form the basis for the approval of a female association from the CDLA and entrance as a CDLA member association.

Survey Frequently Asked Questions

We would like to answer some questions that were raised on the survey.

Will there be enough girls to tier teams?

Yes, there will be enough girls to tier teams. In fact, with a female association, we expect there to be an opportunity to create two tiers which will increase the competitiveness of the teams and leagues. This will also encourage new girls to the sport and provide an environment which supports development of both competitive and recreational players.

Will I have to drive all over the city for practices?

Part of the planning process to be undertaken by the interim Board and volunteers will be to identify where the players are based geographically and determine practice locations accordingly. While there may be more travel than one would expect with quadrant associations, we do not anticipate this being significant. We are keen to retain a community feel to the extent that it is possible.

Will my female player be required to play in this proposed association

No, your female player can chose to play with boys in their existing club. The purpose of this initiative is to create an association which can prioritize the development of female athletes and create an environment that encourages girls specifically, to remain in the sport.

Will my female player get to play with her friends?

There is no mini tyke or tyke in the proposed female association, which is where friend requests are generally requested and approved. However we will be considering options with respect to this, as we feel with greater numbers and with a tiered structure, that this is an option which previously clubs have not been able to entertain.

In order to do this are you requesting funding from the current associations in the CDLA?

At this time we have not requested any funding from the other associations. One of the mandates however of the interim Board will be to look at the options available to us, for financing this new association.

The Calgary District Lacrosse Association provides administration for fundraising, scheduling of games, coordination of referee payments and provides a forum for lacrosse development.